Home / Casino Hotels / Palácio Estoril Hotel, Golf & Wellness
Estoril, Cascais, Portugal
Palácio Estoril Hotel, Golf & Wellness
A 1930 palace hotel on the Portuguese coast, seven minutes on foot from a casino that has been the largest in Europe by floor area since 1931.
- Casino Estoril
- Casino about a seven-minute walk through the Estoril gardens
- 18+
- 161 rooms and suites
At a glance
- City
- Estoril, Cascais
- Country
- Portugal
- Opened
- 1930
- Rooms
- 161 rooms and suites
- Casino
- Casino Estoril
- Casino location
- Casino about a seven-minute walk through the Estoril gardens
- Entry age
- 18+
- Operated by
- Estoril Sol
Estoril, Cascais, Portugal
Rua Particular, 2769-504 Estoril, Portugal
Independently operated; founded by Fausto Figueiredo
Opened on 30 August 1930, designed by Henry Martinet
The property
Hotel Palacio opened on 30 August 1930, founded by Fausto Figueiredo and designed by the architect Henry Martinet, as part of a plan to build a resort combining a thermal spa with sport and leisure on the coast west of Lisbon. Casino Estoril followed in 1931 at the head of the same formal gardens.
The hotel has 161 rooms and suites and is best known for the years when Portuguese neutrality made this coast a refuge for exiled European royalty and a working ground for intelligence services on both sides of the Second World War. That period gave the area its nickname, the Coast of Kings, and gave the hotel bar a reputation it still trades on. The Palacio appeared in the sixth James Bond film in 1969.
Location
The hotel stands above the Estoril gardens, twenty minutes by train from central Lisbon and a few minutes on foot from the beach. The promenade to Cascais runs along the coast and takes about forty minutes to walk. Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a short drive inland, and the Boca do Inferno cliffs are beyond Cascais.
Rooms and accommodation
There are 161 rooms and suites, from classic rooms through junior and executive suites to a wing of duplex suites. The building has been modernised repeatedly while keeping its 1930s frame, and the categories vary accordingly. Current room details are published on the hotel's own site.
Amenities and services
An outdoor pool and gardens, a Banyan Tree spa and golf privileges at the Estoril Golf Club cover the daytime. The historic Bar do Palacio is the room most guests come to see, and the property markets its wartime history openly.
- Outdoor pool and gardens
- Banyan Tree spa
- Golf privileges at Estoril Golf Club
- The historic Bar do Palácio
Restaurants and bars
The Grill Four Seasons is the main restaurant and the Bougainvillea Terrace serves the garden side. In the casino building the Estoril Mandarim offers Chinese cuisine, and the casino runs its own bars and show restaurant.
- Grill Four Seasons
- Bougainvillea Terrace
- Estoril Mandarim in the casino building
Entertainment
Casino Estoril contains a concert hall, an art gallery and exhibition spaces, and runs a programme of shows alongside the gaming rooms. The hotel adds golf and the beach; the Lisbon coast railway puts the capital within half an hour.
Nearby
Estoril beach and the promenade to Cascais, Cascais old town and marina, Sintra with its palaces, and the Boca do Inferno cliffs are all within easy reach. Lisbon is twenty minutes away by train.
- Estoril beach and the promenade to Cascais
- Cascais old town and marina
- Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage site
- The Boca do Inferno cliffs
Casino Estoril
Published daily by the operator; gaming rooms open in the afternoon and close after midnight
The casino
Casino Estoril opened in 1931 and is operated by Estoril Sol. Its operator describes it as the largest casino in Europe by floor area, and the building contains a concert hall, an art gallery and exhibition spaces alongside the gaming rooms. Slot machines, roulette, blackjack and poker are published by the operator.
Entry is limited to adults aged 18 and over, a valid identity document is required, and registration is mandatory for the gaming rooms. Beachwear is not accepted. Opening hours are published daily by the operator and generally run from the afternoon until after midnight.
What the operator publishes
- Opened in 1931 and described by its operator as the largest casino in Europe by floor area
- Concert hall, art gallery and exhibition spaces inside the building
- Slot machines, roulette, blackjack and poker as published by the operator
- Stands at the head of the Estoril gardens facing the Atlantic
Casino history
The casino was built as the centrepiece of the Estoril resort scheme and opened in 1931. Its most consequential years were the early 1940s, when neutral Portugal filled with exiles, diplomats and intelligence officers, and the casino became a place where both sides of the war met at the same tables. The literary afterlife is well known: the setting influenced early British spy fiction, and the connection to the Bond films has been part of the hotel's identity ever since.
House rules and entry
A valid identity document is required at the entrance, registration is mandatory in the gaming rooms, and the minimum age is 18. The dress standard is smart casual and beachwear is refused. The operator publishes daily opening hours and house rules on its website.
Age restrictions
18+ (Portuguese law sets the minimum age at 18)
Smart casual; beachwear is not accepted
A valid identity document is required at the entrance and registration is mandatory for the gaming rooms.
Responsible gambling
Gambling is entertainment with a price, not a way to make money. Set a budget before you enter, keep it separate from the money you need for the trip, and stop when it is gone. Every casino in this list must offer self-exclusion on request.
Support for readers in Finland: Peluuri offers a free helpline and chat, and Peli poikki runs a structured online programme.
Local support: ICAD, the Portuguese institute for addictive behaviours
Photographs
Booking and official links
Availability and prices are held by the operator. The first button opens the property's own reservation system; the second opens a mainstream booking service. We do not take reservations and we do not publish prices.
Check availability (Palacioestorilhotel.com) Booking service Casino Estoril
Sources
Facts checked: 2026-08-26